Gandhi's 'Swaraj'

Comment on Gandhi's concept of Swaraj. UPSC 2019 Paper 1A Qn 1e

Gandhi's concept of Swaraj was articulated during the freedom struggle and the growing democratization of the political processes that already brought in socio-politically marginal sections of society. Swaraj was a foundational theory of Gandhi's social and political thought, swadeshi was the empirical demonstration of those relevant social, economic, and political steps for a society, different from what existed. Swaraj to Gandhi meant human emancipation.

Swaraj is defined in the following ways - These concepts are complementary to each other.

1. National independence

2. Political freedom - Political freedom to Gandhi meant autonomy within the control of the British administration.

3. Economic freedom - Given the inherent and exploitation nature of colonialism, poverty of the colonized is inevitable. Constitutional autonomy as it appeared did not prove to be worthy of transforming India's economic structure as it was then a supplier of foodstuff and a market for metropolitan manufacturers.

For Gandhi, India's economic future lay in charkha and khadi. He believed mechanization was evil since there were more hands than required for the work. He opposed to industrialization and mechanization.

4. Spiritual freedom - It is a positive concept. Gandhi says inner freedom cannot be realized without a conducive socio-political environment.

Swaraj as 'national independence', individual 'political', and 'economic freedom involves discontinuity of alien rule, absence of exploitation by individuals, and poverty. Swaraj helped mobilize people despite the socio-economic and cultural differences. The swaraj-based polity comprised small, cultured, well-organized, thoroughly regenerated, and self-governing village communities.

 

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